SMU vs Rice Prediction
The SMU Mustangs and Rice Owls face off on Saturday in a college football showdown at Rice Stadium.
How Does SMU Build on Last Week?
SMU comes into this game with a 6-2 record overall and they sure were impressive in the last game against Tulsa. SMU scored 69 points and that led to the 59 point victory. In the first quarter they scored 28 points, and they never looked back. SMU was led by Preston Stone and he completed 15 of his 20 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. SMU’s offense gets the praise, but this is also a very good defensive team. SMU is averaging 40.5 points while their defense is giving up 14 points per game. The offense is ranked 7th while the defense is ranked 5th.
Can Rice Build off Last Game’s Second Half?
Rice might have lost their last game against Tulane, but they outscored them 17-3 in the second half, and they ended up only losing by two points. JT Daniels had another sold game completing 18 of his 29 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. One issue for Rice was they didn’t have a very balanced attack. Juma Otoviano rushed for only 38 yards but he did score twice. Rice overall this season is averaging 33.3 points while their defense is giving up 27.8 points per game. In this game, Rice is going to need to have a big game from Daniels,
Shane’s Free Pick
Rice had a big second half last week, but that isn’t going to translate to this game. SMU’s offense is good, but even more impressive in the last game giving up only 14 points per game. In this game, Rice’s offense is going to struggle to move the ball and Daniels is going to throw a couple of interceptions here. Look for Stone to have a huge game again, and SMU is going to win this game by right around 20 points. Back SMU to cover the spread here.
